April showers make Vancouver Island residents wonder: is it really spring?

Don’t expect to see much of a change in the wet and gloomy conditions blanketing much of the Island anytime soon.

Environment Canada is forecasting the region can expect cloud cover and rain for much of the next week, with a possible break around Monday before another weather system brings more rain and clouds.

Meteorologist Cindy Yu said a weather system over the Pacific Ocean that is bringing westerly and wet flows into the south end of Vancouver Island is the cause of the current conditions.

“The afternoon temperatures for the next few days should be in the range of about eight to 10 C which are seasonal for this time of year,” Yu said.

“During the overnight periods over the next few days, expect it to be warmer than usual because of the cloud cover which creates a kind of a greenhouse effect at night by preventing heat loss.”

Yu said it may seem very wet these days, but it’s a fact that southern Vancouver Island experienced its fifth driest March on record. She said 31.7 millimetres of rain were recorded at Victoria International Airport during March, while 78.4 is considered normal.

“All the rain we’ll be seeing over the next few days is nature’s way of balancing things out,” Yu said.

Yu said it’s hard to make accurate forecasts for later in the spring and summer months, but the La Nina weather pattern the west coast is currently experiencing could play a big part in determining what weather the Valley can expect.

“It might mean that we’ll get less precipitation than usual over the next few months, but we have no indication at this time as to what the temperatures will be.”